Vint Cerf on the BBC

29 August 2007 Reading Time:

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![Vint Cerf](https://i2.wp.com/www.andydickinson.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/300px-vinton_cerf_in_lisbon-20070325.jpg?w=525 "Vint Cerf")I listen to Radio 4 veraciously and I always tune in to their morning news programme, Today.

Recently two things have really annoyed me about the show. The first is the noise of people typing in the background as interviews take place. Are you listening or typing – you can’t do both!

The second and admittedly less grumpy reason, is John Humphrys’ increasingly oblique and monotopic questioning style.

So it was great to here Vint Cerf , Godfather of the Internet, interviewed today and respond in such a measured, informed and sensible way to and increasingly redundant set of questions from the Humphrys.

My favorite ‘quote’ of the interview was a point he made about the internet being a reflection of society (one of those that could become a long debate). On regulating the internet to stop bad behavior in society, he replied (and I paraphrase): When you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see. You don’t regulate the mirror. You do something about that which is reflected in it.